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Dallas-Fort Worth

Just had a car accident in DFW?

Take a slow breath. You don't have to figure everything out today. This site walks you through what to do next, one step at a time, in plain language.

What to do at the scene How to get your crash report

Photo: "High Five Interchange 2009 3" by Andreas Praefcke, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped; license plates blurred.

Just had a car accident in DFW?DFW Car Accidents

If you are still at the scene

If anyone is hurt, or might be hurt, call 911.
Get safe. Turn on your hazard lights. If no one is hurt and the cars can be driven, move out of traffic.
Stay at the scene. Texas law requires drivers in a crash to stop.
Swap information. Get the other driver's name, address, insurance company and license plate number. Photos of their insurance card and driver's license make this easy.
Take photos of the cars, the damage and the area.
Only use a tow truck that you, your roadside service or the police called.

Read the full checklist: What to do at the scene.

Just had a car accident in DFW?DFW Car Accidents

In the next few days

Get checked by a doctor, even if you feel okay. Some injuries take time to show. Getting checked by a doctor
Tell your insurance company about the crash and write down your claim number. Insurance claim basics
Get the crash report. It can take up to two weeks to be ready. How to get your crash report
Find out where your car is and what fees are building up. Towing and repairs
Start a folder for photos, receipts, bills, letters and notes from every call.

Our guides #

A red reflective warning triangle set on the pavement at the edge of a road

What to do at the scene

Safety, 911, photos and swapping information.

Read the guide

Hands filling out a printed form with a pen at a wooden table

How to get your crash report

Buying your report from TxDOT or your local police.

Read the guide

An accordion file holding labeled folders of paperwork

Insurance claim basics

Filing a claim, adjusters, rental cars and total losses.

Read the guide

A stethoscope lying on a dark wooden table

Getting checked by a doctor

Why it helps, and how medical bills may get paid.

Read the guide

An older red tow truck with a rear towing boom parked outside a garage

Towing and repairs

Your rights with tow companies, storage lots and repair shops.

Read the guide

A row of United States Code law books on a library shelf

How to find and check a lawyer

How to look up a Texas lawyer and what to ask.

Read the guide

Good to know #

You never have to answer uninvited offers. Texas law generally makes it a crime, at any time, for someone to call, visit or message crash victims to sign them up as clients of a lawyer or patients of a doctor or chiropractor. In the first 30 days after a crash, lawyers and licensed health care providers are also generally barred from sending you any offer about your crash, including a letter, unless you contacted them first. Learn how to spot and report this in How to find and check a lawyer.
You choose your repair shop. Your insurance company can suggest shops, but it can't make you use one.
Watch your deadlines. Insurance policies and Texas law both set time limits. Don't let mail or calls about your crash pile up. Common deadlines are explained in How to find and check a lawyer.

Photo: "Triangle de présignalisation" by Roulex 45, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped; license plate blurred; this version is licensed CC BY-SA 3.0. Photo: "Signing Paperwork" by Dan Moyle, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr. Cropped. Photo: "Paperwork file" by Ian Lamont (IN 30 MINUTES Guides), CC BY 2.0, via Flickr. Photo: "1971 ford f-350 custom holmes 440" by Rjluna2, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped; this version is licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo: "United States Code Law Book Boston Public Library 6D2B1951" by Tony Webster, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped; this version is licensed CC BY-SA 3.0. All photo credits

About this site

We are an independent guide. We are not a law firm and not a lawyer referral service. We don't refer anyone to lawyers, doctors, clinics, tow companies or repair shops, and we don't get paid by any of them.

This site is general information, not legal or medical advice. It is not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. See our disclaimer.

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